Finding Perfect
by carguysteve549
Summary: A bit late for Christmas but fitting in the season. This is a one chapter story about the family we all waited so long to experience and sometimes thought we might never get to see. Here, Ty and Amy take Lindy along to deliver a pair of client horses to a family for Christmas and have a day they will always remember.


Annabeth and Avery Green had been hard at work for over an hour when their mother came from the house to offer a pause from their unusually cheerful early morning chore. "Here, girls," she said, "Why don't you take a little break and have some hot chocolate and pick out one of my fresh banana nut muffins?"

It was especially early for the sisters to be out in their family's barn eight miles west of Canmore, Alberta, a stone's throw from one of the most popular Provincial Parks in Canada.

"Mmmmm! Thanks Mom!" Avery said.

Elizabeth Green was relishing seeing her tween-aged twin girls so charged with anticipation. It was only a matter of hours now before the stalls being so thoroughly prepared by the sisters would become home to a pair of new arrivals and the beginning of the next chapter of their young lives, responsibility for animals of their own.

The girls had been double teaming their parents since spring riding season began to take them to a ranch near Millarville, Alberta, a place called Heartland Ranch, one hundred twenty five miles to the Southeast of their home. Amy Fleming was the ranch's trainer and was known throughout western Canada and a few northern States for her unique methods of rescuing and healing neglected horses. She was famous for fixing horses that others had given up on, if they would have even attempted to gentle them in the first place, and successfully training them to be everything from family pets to winning rodeo horses. There was also a string of champion jumpers credited with coming out of the Heartland Ranch Stables.

The beautiful horsewoman was also known worldwide as a successful trainer to high end thoroughbreds, having worked a few years before as head trainer for some dreamy prince's team during the European Equestrian Games and winning while competing against the best teams in the world. The twins had even convinced their Dad to take them to one of Amy's horsemanship clinics for younger riders held in Banff this past summer when the "Miracle Girl," a trademark made famous by equestrian magazines they had been subscribing to since they were old enough to read, had come to their town for a much anticipated exhibition with their idol as host.

Online reviews the Green's had found on the internet publicized the story of Heartland Ranch and its outstanding reputation as an affordable place to find a couple of horses the girls had been pestering them about all summer. The girls promised to pay for their new animals with the money they had saved by working after school and on weekends in their family's local farm and garden store and to take care of them without having to be reminded by their parents.

Besides, one of the girl's schoolmates had gotten her own horse from Heartland Ranch the year before and could not be happier with her new friend.

* * *

Brilliant orange rays pierced the deep aqua blue of dawn and danced outward from a lazy Kananaskis sunrise peeking over the low eastern ridge bordering Heartland Ranch. A cool mist that had settled over the unseasonably warm valley floor overnight silently wafted into nothingness as cattle in the field paid no attention to the breathtaking beauty of the new day.

Ty Borden had already loaded the first of the rehomed horses in the trailer and stood aside as the cowgirl, trainer, wife and mother of his lively four year old daughter yawned as she led the second of a pair of two year old Quarter Horses she and her business partner-husband were to deliver to their new home two and a half hours away up on the Bow River halfway between Canmore, and Banff.

The geldings were to be a highly anticipated Christmas present from understanding parents to twin daughters who were to soon find out they will get to keep all the money they had saved to buy the horses and instead use the money they had worked so hard to earn in a shopping extravaganza to gather all the new tack and apparel required to be up to date and in style eleven year old equestriennes.

"I'll finish up here while you go get Lindy ready for breakfast," said Ty. "Hope she isn't too grumpy for having to get up so early."

"She'll be OK, once we get going. You know she likes to ride along with us when we deliver clients horses."

"Yeah, I guess so, but it's still early and she sleeps really hard."

"She knows what life is like on a ranch. She always sleeps hard because her days are so full. That and she takes after her dad," Amy reflected with a snicker.

"Hey! I work hard and I need my sleep!" he said defensively.

She turned to look at him and smiled, "You could sleep smack in the middle of a stampede of wild horses and never bat an eye!"

"Just means I have a clear conscience."

"Is _that_ what does it?"

"Yup!"

"I'd better go get Lindy up. It's getting a little _deep_ around here," giving her husband of six years a quick peck on the cheek and playfully twiddling her fingers before sashaying toward the ranch house and their sleeping daughter.

* * *

It had been a gorgeous drive into the Canadian Rockies while on their way to the Green's Ranch. When the family Borden turned into the long driveway leading up to a neatly maintained log style ranch house, much larger than their own, Amy laughed and turned to the back seat and said, "Look, Lindy! See how excited the horse's new owners are!"

The twins had burst through the door of the house and leapt from the porch full speed ahead without a thought of using the steps that would only serve to slow them down. Behind them were Ben and Elizabeth Green, the couple who had made the deal to have their daughter's surprise delivered the week before Christmas, a nice Christmas bonus for Amy to help with some extra surprises for her own family.

Amy reached out to place her hand on Ty's shoulder and said, "This is the best part, seeing a family so happy to have a new member come into their lives. We are a part of a moment those girls will remember forever."

"Well, their lives are going to change," he replied, "That's for sure. And for the better, I would say."

Ty got out of the truck and extended his hand to the father of the enthusiastic girls, "Pleased to meet you, Ben," and nodded politely to his wife, "Mrs. Green," while Amy busied herself with helping Lindy out of the back seat.

"Oh, please, all my friends call me Liz."

Ty had not been at the ranch on the day the Green family had come to Heartland to see Amy about the possibility of adding to their family.

"Ok, then! Done! Nice to meet you, Liz," shaking her hand as well.

Hi, Amy!" the twins greeted their hero in unison.

"Hey, girls! Do you remember our daughter, Lindy?"

"Hey, Lindy," waiving nervously and trying not to burst from unbridled excitement.

"She is absolutely precious," Liz said to Amy while bending over to greet the small girl who was clinging onto her father's leg, peeking shyly up to the woman from behind. "You sure love your Daddy, don't you, Sweetheart?"

Lindy smiled and looked up to her doting dad and all the grown-ups laughed.

Liz leaned in close to Amy and nudged a playful elbow against the admired horse trainer's arm, and whispered, "My, Amy, I can see why you chose this vet to partner up with."

Amy's cheeks flushed a bit and she raised her eyebrows causing the two women to share a private chuckle, then spoke up, "Who's ready to show these horses to their new homes?"

"YEAH!" Both girls shouted in unison, too excited to remain earthbound, hopping toward the rear of the trailer.

After the horses were unloaded and calmly standing beside their new owners, Amy pulled out her phone and asked, "May I take a picture?"

"Sure!" Ben said, "Right after me!" as he snapped several of his own.

* * *

"Thank you, Amy, Ty, and Lindy, too!" Liz said, leaning down to make sure the little one felt included in the conversation. "Thank you for taking time out of your holiday season to do this for our family."

"It isn't any trouble, Liz. This is one of the many reasons I love my job so much," Amy offered to the parents. "I remember how special I felt when I got my first horse. It changed my life forever and I am so, so thankful for the memories we made together. I hope you all have years and years of happy memories of your own as well."

After thirty minutes of checking the Green family's preparation of their property, barn and stalls, "You girls have done a fantastic job getting ready for your new friends to have a nice place to hang out," and the sisters beamed with pride to have the "Miracle Girl" personally complement their efforts. "Remember, they are never going to be _just pets_. They will become two of the most trusted and loyal friends you will ever have and if you take care of them, they will take care of you, too."

"We will! We promise!"

Amy smiled and said, "I know you will," bending down to hug both the girls in a pact of horsewomen sisterhood. She then offered a short list of suggestions for maintaining cleanliness, safety, and convenience before she, Ty, and Lindy bid the latest client family, and now friends, farewell and headed out on the journey home.

* * *

The humm of the highway was muffled by Christmas tunes Amy played on the CD as they came back down the mountain. There was a peaceful reflection of a job well done keeping conversation to a minimum. Lindy was sound asleep, again, conked out and completely relaxed in her car seat dreaming of animals running freely through magical places no one knew about her, and her dad, and mom.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Huh?" Ty asked as he shook himself back into the present.

"Where did you go? It seems like you have been somewhere else for miles and miles. Is everything OK?"

Ty adjusted himself in the comfortable seat of their new-to-them truck, "I'm fine?" pausing to think about how to best answer his wife's out of the blue question.

Amy had learned through thirteen years of their sometimes challenging relationship that Ty was a deep thinker and it was good policy to keep in touch with what was going on inside his mind. There had been times when he needed to explore more of life, trying to make up for all the lost time of his youth when he had little opportunity to expand life any further than trying to make sure he and his mother would survive another day on their own or in spite of his less than supportive stepfather.

Not being in sync with his thinking had caused them to both regret some of the decisions they had made when they were younger and still figuring out how to attain the lives they wanted to lead.

"No," hesitating again, still thinking, "No, I couldn't be better. Actually, I think I might be feeling a little guilty."

Cautiously, Amy asked, "Is there something we need to talk about?"

Still unsure of how to explain what he was feeling, exactly, Ty instead focused on sharing an immediate observation, "I was just watching Lindy sleeping back there in her seat and started thinking about how happy she seems to be. I mean, she has plenty of people around her that love her and watch after her. She knows that, right?"

Amy breathed a sigh of relief and slipped her hand underneath his, interlacing her fingers in gripping assurance, "Ty, our daughter is a_ very, very _happy little girl. She has plenty to be happy about, I would say. How many kids get to grow up surrounded by baby animals everywhere around a ranch or get to go to work with their daddy any time they want and see him make all those little animals who get sick or hurt all better again? She gets to feel like she is helping to take care of and play with everyone's animals who live anywhere near Hudson, everything from kittens and puppies to foals and baby goats, pot belly pigs to alpacas, even Sadie McCallister's mischievous ferret."

Ty chuckled and nodded, "She loves that damn ferret."

"C'mon, Ty, he's so _cuuuute_!"

"Good thing! He's a handful."

They rode along the Trans Canadian Highway in peaceful reflection for another minute before Amy interrupted the faint humm of tires and rushing wind around their truck. "We are coming up to the exit for highway 40, you know. We could take the back way home and stop by Eagle Lake. It's not far out of the way and we could pay our respects to your dad."

The suggestion had obviously affected her husband, and when Ty looked at her and smiled, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze, knowing her point had been taken.

Ty had chosen Eagle Lake as the place to spread his father's ashes after he had unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack while the estranged father and son were still at odds. It was another of the many chapters of his relationship with Amy that had taken a bad turn and somehow worked out, over time.

He didn't speak, but slowed after flipping the turn signal lever and turned onto the offramp from Highway 1.

Half an hour was all it took to get from the main highway to Eagle Lake's off season parking area. Ty pulled to a stop as Lindy was awakened from her sleep. "Mommy?"

"We just stopped for a while, Honey," her mother answered. "Your Daddy and I wanted to visit a very special place that we used to come to. Would you like to go for a walk and stretch our legs for a little while?"

The answer was an agreeable, albeit sleepy, "Uhhkaaay."

The Borden family walked hand in hand for a short stroll along the shore of the pristine and forgotten lake on this warmer than usual winter day until Ty found the narrow dirt path. They all turned up the winding trail and hiked a few hundred feet to the top of a large rock which ended abruptly at a small clearing with a thirty foot vertical drop. Beyond the edge, the Rockies presented a breathtaking view of cloudless blue skies and snowcapped mountains all around with splashes of hearty green pine and spruce for contrast, perfectly mirrored in the most pristine waters anyone would ever see.

The father and husband stood quiet and motionless for the minute it took for Lindy to sense the sadness seeping into her daddy and raise her arms to him. The child had already proven to possess a keen perception of the wellbeing of others around her, be it person or creature.

As one of the few instances of his childhood memories where he felt what he presumed to be a normal family time together, the trip to Eagle Lake when he was a ten year old boy held a special place in his heart. It was strikingly surreal to be holding his own daughter so tightly in the place where he had released his father's ashes years before without proper closure between them, too many things left unsaid.

Ty's relationship with his father had always been extremely troubled, in fact nonexistent for most of his youth. That failure would become the center to what drove him to be a better man for his wife and child, to the community which he served as caretaker for so many animals, and to himself.

"Daddy, why are you sad?"

The preoccupied father was made aware of the little girl's face close to his by the kiss she placed so carefully on his cheek. "I love you, Daddy."

It was as if all the air left his lungs as he hugged her tightly, and answered, "It's nothing a kiss from my best girl can't fix."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his wife watching them with tears streaming down her cheeks and she gathered the three of them into a tight, long embrace.

Ty and Amy took the time needed to explain all they thought their small daughter should know about her grandfather from her father's side of the family and assured her that they would try to answer all her questions whenever she had them.

Amy knew her husband needed closure that had always eluded him concerning his father and thought the opportunity may have finally presented itself. "Sweetie, why don't we go back to the truck and get that basket of food and take it to a nice place I saw on the way up. It's such a beautiful day, perfect for a picnic!"

The girl came to life, "Yay!"

"Why don't you stay here for a bit?" she told him, "Then, when you are ready, we can finish off the food in the basket and sit a while and enjoy the view of our very own private paradise."

Ty brought his wife close and tendered a kiss for both of his girls and let Amy take Lindy out of his arms, "Thank you. I'll be along soon."

* * *

He had been alone for several minutes, absolutely nothing to disturb absolute stillness of the secluded spot. "Well, Dad, that's the family I've been blessed with. I thought you would like to see them again now that Lindy has grown so much since the last time you saw her. She would have you wrapped around her little finger. You'd be defenseless trying to avoid it because she is as persistent as her mother. Mom is crazy about her and Lindy loves her too. They are inseparable when she comes to visit, and we make sure she gets to come out from Vancouver as often as possible. You would be proud of the way she has stepped up and taken control of her life. Lindy had a lot to do with it. She changed everything, for all of us."

Ty gulped in a breath, the guilt of lost years gripping his chest.

"So, I just wanted to show you that it turns out there is no such thing as a 'Borden Curse' after all. All it took to prove it wrong was having faith enough to take a chance on living a good life and letting people love you like they are capable of. I wish you could have known what it feels like to let yourself be loved like that. It was there for you, if you had accepted it. It's the best feeling in the world, the place you used to call 'Finding Perfect'. You always thought it took money and success to make it work, to be worthy of real love, but I am proof that it isn't true. We don't have a lot, me and Amy, I mean like possessions and material things, but we have everything we need and enough love to cover everything else. I wanted to show you that the things you can't see are the most valuable possessions in life. Things like coming here to this place with the people I love more than anything in the world."

A sudden breeze came from nowhere, strong enough to rustle his hair. It only lasted a few seconds, then went dead silent. Ty felt as though it could have been an acknowledgement from his father, still lingering in his final resting place, appreciating what his son had accomplished by carrying on the family name with a renewed sense of honor and complete happiness.

"See you around, Dad. I just wanted you to know that I'm going to be OK and for you to see what a great family I have. I love you, and there really is such a thing as 'Finding Perfect', because that's where I live every day of my life."

* * *

Ty found his girls on the shore in the same spot he and Amy's grandfather, and his mentor, had camped years before. "Boy, I thought for a minute there that the weather was changing and was going to spoil the day for us."

Amy looked up from tending the small fire she had started in a makeshift firepit where she was preparing to warm up some things out of the basket. "What? It couldn't be any more perfect out here today."

"You didn't feel that sudden breeze come out of nowhere?"

"We haven't had any breeze at all. Look at that water. There isn't as much as a ripple."

Ty observed the glass smooth lake, unmoving in its crystal clear tranquility, then glanced up to the rock where he had been alone with his thoughts, and apparently, his father.

Amy watched Lindy who was preoccupied with throwing stones toward an abandoned rodent den and saw her chance to pursue an unfinished question from her husband, "Earlier, when you said you thought you were feeling a little guilty? Why would you feel that way?"

Ty realized her concern and thought carefully before his response. "It's just that…sometimes I don't know what I've ever done to deserve all the good things I have in my life. I tried so long to fit in, to find my place. You know how hard I tried. How many times I messed up. What have I ever done to deserve you and Lindy, or having the clinic, or the life I live every day?"

"Ty, you have these things because you are decent and kind, and most of all, because you didn't give up while you were down. Didn't every part of your life get easier when you finally let all of us in, all of us who love you so much? You worked _very_ hard for everything you have, Ty, harder than anyone I have ever known. It's one of the qualities I admire most about you. You have earned every bit of your success and we all love you for who you are, not because of what you have. You gave everything you had to make a better life for yourself, for me and Lindy, and your hard work is paying off, for _all _of us. That's all we could ever ask for and we love you for it."

Her words stunned him. Hadn't he just said the same things to his dad up there on the rock? Why hadn't he regarded his own observations of life applying to himself?

* * *

Lindy was content with her chicken tenders and Goldfish snacks while Ty and Amy split the last ham and cheese sandwich and handful of potato chips.

"Show me a five star restaurant that can match this. Dining at its finest!" Amy smiled as she held up a red plastic cup half full of diet soda in a toast. "To the most perfect day, ever."

Ty reciprocated with his own cup and said, "The most perfect day. _Ever._"

Amy surveyed her husband, trying not to be too obvious in her assessment of how he was handling his visit to such an important place that held so many memories and the obvious effect of his time on the rock alone, and now his recurrence into self-examination.

"I know what you are doing," he said.

Amy deflected the insinuation, "Oh?"

"Lindy is her mother's daughter, that's for sure."

"How so?" smiling at the sweetness of his observation.

"She already sees past what's on the outside and right into my soul. How could she have known what I was feeling up there?"

"In case you haven't noticed, your daughter thinks the sun rises and sets in you. She notices _everything_ her father says and does. She wants her daddy to be happy, and so do I," Amy said as she rose from the fallen tree she used as a seat and held out her hand.

Knowing a good thing when he saw it, Ty stood with her and took her hand into his as he brought her close, chest to chest.

"Daaadddy!" Lindy giggled.

"It's high time Daddy shows Mommy how much he _luuuuves_ her," and kissed his wife tenderly, slowly, causing her cheeks flush with affection. "I'm OK, you know."

"I know you are. So, what brought this on?" Amy asked, "Whatever it was, do it again. And, have I told you how much I love you today?"

"I kinda thought you did. But just to be sure…" he kissed her one more time.

Love was a word the extraordinarily perceptive little girl had come to know as meaning many different things. She loved her animals. She loved her cousins, ants and uncles, grandpas and grandmas, great grandpas and great grandmas. She loved her friends. She loved being with her mother around the ranch and loved going with her father to his vet clinic to attend to all those animals who depended on she and her father to help them get better when they were sick.

It was not unusual for Lindy to see her parents behaving this way and she liked it when they loved each other while she watched them because it always meant that there would be plenty of kisses left over for her, too. Loving was normal and, as far as she knew, it was the way life was supposed to be.

Perfect, however was a new word. Was it a place, or maybe it was a thing? She didn't know, but it must mean something good because her mom has said it was here, and here was very good.

THE END


End file.
